How do you take care of an eggplant?
Eggplant grows best in a well-drained sandy loam or loam soil, fairly high in organic matter. The soil pH should be between 5.8 and 6.5 for best growth. Use a covering of black plastic mulch to warm heavy clay soils before setting out transplants. Eggplant requires moderate amounts of fertilizer.Click to see full answer. Beside…
Eggplant grows best in a well-drained sandy loam or loam soil, fairly high in organic matter. The soil pH should be between 5.8 and 6.5 for best growth. Use a covering of black plastic mulch to warm heavy clay soils before setting out transplants. Eggplant requires moderate amounts of fertilizer.Click to see full answer. Beside this, do eggplant plants need support?Eggplant Support Ideas. Eggplants are botanically related to tomatoes, with which they pair beautifully. Ideally, you want to stake eggplant when it is small — at seedling stage when it has a few leaves or at transplanting time. Staking requires a support that is 3/8 to 1 inch thick and 4-6 feet long.Furthermore, do you need to prune eggplants? Unlike tomatoes — which are pruned to a single stalk — eggplant is pruned to three main branches. Prune early so a leaf canopy develops before fruiting to prevent sunburn of the fruit. Prune periodically throughout the growing season and severely if fruit production drops off for a new flush of leaves and blossoms. Also know, how often should Eggplant be watered? Fight pests with healthy plants In hot climates, young plants will need to be watered twice a week, to a depth of 12 inches. Eggplants do not like standing water, so mature plants should be watered deeply and infrequently. But do not allow the leaves to wilt during the day.How do I know when my eggplant is ready to pick?Harvesting eggplants should occur when the inner flesh is cream colored, fruits are firm and before seeds are visible. Learning when to harvest eggplants may require cutting into the fruit to check the color of the flesh and the size of the seeds.
